


Decisions

by ADuckInAHat



Series: Decisions Verse [1]
Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: AU, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Homophobia, Internalized Homophobia, Mutual Pining, Religion, because I can't handle pain, controlling parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-13
Updated: 2019-09-13
Packaged: 2020-10-17 09:50:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20619044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ADuckInAHat/pseuds/ADuckInAHat
Summary: During Dahyun's wedding rehearsal, she's told to make a life altering decision. Her parents or Chaeyoung.





	Decisions

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a baby Once, so please be gentle. Their style based on What Is Love era. This idea came to me in a dream and my friend told me if I didn't write it, they would be mad at me. So here we are. Hopefully it's not too abrupt. First fic in two or so years. Yay? Also my first post on ao3, so hopefully I don't fuck it up.

It was two weeks before Dahyun was due to be married. They were currently at the rehearsal, wearing comfortable clothes so they could move around and work easily. Dahyun was sitting on the couch in the back dressing room of the church, Chaeyoung sprawled out next to her, her head resting on Dahyun's thighs.  
  
"You know my mom is going to be upset if you pass out, right?" Dahyun said with a soft chuckle, running her fingers through Chaeyoung's long, dirty blonde hair.  
  
Chaeyoung grumbled and buried her face against Dahyun's thigh even deeper. "It's your fault for waking me up at the ass crack of dawn to come help you get ready." Her words were followed by a soft slap on the arm.  
  
"Don't swear in church," Dahyun scolded, earning her a quiet growl from the other.  
  
Dahyun's mother came bustling into the room, startling the two girls on the couch. They kept perfectly still because predators can't see their prey if they don't move. However, she stood in front of Chaeyoung with her hands on her hips.  
  
"You better not be sleeping, Son Chaeyoung. This is an important day!"  
  
Chaeyoung sat up and shook her head. "Just resting, I promise."  
  
Dahyun's mother raised her brow, but accepted her answer. "It's almost time to start the rehearsal. We need you both out there." She didn't wait for a reply and left as quickly as she came.  
  
Chaeyoung let out a groan, flopping to the side and resting her head on Dahyun's shoulder. "Is she going to be like this the _entire_ time?"  
  
"You know she is. She wants this wedding to be perfect. No mistakes."  
  
"She does understand this is your wedding and not hers, right?"  
  
Dahyun just shrugged her shoulders. "Sometimes I wonder about that myself," she said quietly. "But we better go before she comes back and drags us out by our ears." Chaeyoung reached up to her ears unconsciously, as if trying to hide them.

* * *

  
  
  
Once they made their way to the sanctuary, Dahyun went towards the altar to discuss the ceremony with her fiancé and the priest, her mother hovering close by. Chaeyoung kept her distance, trying not to think about herself in a position that wasn’t the maid of honor.  
  
She had always had feelings for Dahyun even when they were in middle school. She never had the courage to act on them, or even mention them, knowing how Dahyun's family was. Every time she thought about confessing her feelings, her mind went into worst case scenario overdrive: Dahyun finding her disgusting and breaking off their friendship entirely, or not returning her feelings and making their friendship awkward. Chaeyoung sighed and looked down towards her feet, her fingers laced together and resting in front of her.  
  
She felt a hand on her shoulder and familiar shoes coming into her line of sight.  
  
"Are you okay?" Dahyun leaned down enough to catch her eyes, lifting them back up from the floor.  
  
Chaeyoung was surprised to see Dahyun in front of her. "Yeah, I'm okay. Why?"  
  
"I heard you sigh. You don't do that unless something is on your mind." Dahyun replied gently.  
  
A smile crept across Chaeyoung's face at that. Dahyun could always tell when something was wrong and dropped everything she was doing, even if it was important, to see if she was okay or needed anything.  
  
"I'm just thinking, that's all. It's a lot to take in, you know?" She motioned to the church with her hand. "Big wedding and all." She rambled.  
  
Dahyun nodded. "Trust me, I know what you mean. Promise me we'll talk about it, okay?" She said with a gentle squeeze to her shoulder.  
  
"Of course." Chaeyoung nodded and reached up to rub the back of Dahyun's hand. "Go rehearse." She smiled towards her and shooed her with her free hand.

* * *

  
  
With everyone at their position at the altar, she watched from Dahyun's side as she rehearsed her vows with her fiancé. Pain shot through her heart at the sight, but kept her expression neutral as she handed the rings over. Watching Dahyun put a ring on his finger made her heart twist and her stomach drop to the floor, even though she knew it wasn't real yet. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, turning and walking away.  
  
At the end of the aisle, she turned and watched as the priest mock-announced them as a married couple. As they walked down the aisle holding hands, Chaeyoung walked along the side to go back towards the altar. The action earned her a glare from Dahyun's mother, but she grew accustomed to ignoring them over the years.  
  
As she passed by, Dahyun reached out to grab her hand. Chaeyoung instantly latched on and laced their fingers, making Dahyun smile wide. It was the smile she loved to put on her face no matter what dumb thing she had to do to put it there. They kept walking in opposite directions until their fingers finally fell apart, Dahyun following Chaeyoung's eyes with her own to the point where she was looking over her shoulder.  
  
Dahyun's fiancé noticed this as her grip loosened on his hand. He shot Chaeyoung a look then looked towards Dahyun, only to see the back of her head. Once she turned back, she still had that wide smile plastered on her face. His eyes narrowed slightly, thinking to himself that he had never seen that smile directed towards him the entire time he'd been with Dahyun.  
  
The thought kept running through his mind for the rest of the rehearsal and even the rehearsal dinner later that day. The look in Chaeyoung's eyes whenever she looked at Dahyun haunted his thoughts as well. He knew what that look meant. He made the decision then to speak with Dahyun about it, pulling her aside after dinner.  
  
"I think it would be a good idea if you stopped seeing Chaeyoung after we return from the honeymoon." He held up his hand at the look on Dahyun's face, clearly not expecting what he was saying. "I'm just not comfortable with her around anymore."  
  
That made Dahyun even more confused than before. "I don't understand what you mean. She's my best friend in the entire world. You've been around her for two years almost. What changed?"  
  
He waved off her question. "Isn't my discomfort enough for you to do what I ask?"  
  
Dahyun looked up at him in disbelief, her mouth slightly ajar. She was trying to find the right words to say, not willing to give up her friendship. She knew that if she disobeyed him and continued to be friends with her, he could very well leave her, which would upset her parents. They thought he was the perfect match for Dahyun after he was hired by her father's company.  
  
They set them up on numerous dates and always pushed them together even when Dahyun wanted to reject his advances. She wanted to please her parents. That's how she was raised. Always obey your parents no matter what. Chaeyoung had told Dahyun that she should live her own life and not the one her parents wanted her to live.  
  
Growing up in the church didn't help either. It was ingrained into her at a young age that she should find a nice man to marry and have children with. That's what women were supposed to do. Take care of their husband and children. Dahyun never really wanted that for herself. She wanted to be free enough to do as she pleased without answering to anyone. To sit in her home and play the piano until midnight if she wanted to.  
  
Dahyun took a deep breath and shook her head. "I need some time to think. Is that okay?"  
  
He reluctantly nodded, not liking that she didn't instantly agree. "Don't take too long." He walked back towards his family after that, leaving Dahyun behind with a stunned expression still on her face.  
  
Chaeyoung had been watching the entire exchange. Her brows furrowed at the look on Dahyun's face and the way her fiancé walked away in a huff. She got up from her place at the table and walked over, placing her hand on the small of Dahyun's back, rubbing gently.  
  
"What's wrong, Dubu?" She asked quietly, knowing people were still milling around and wanted to keep their conversation as private as possible.  
  
Hearing the nickname, the corners of Dahyun's mouth turned upward. "Can I tell you later?" She looked into Chaeyoung's eyes, knowing it was a weakness for the younger girl. Dahyun didn't want to talk about it right now.  
  
"Of course." Chaeyoung nodded, not wanting to pressure her into talking with all these people around. She reached down and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before heading back to the table, sparing her a glance over her shoulder.  
  


* * *

  
  
  
Later that evening, Dahyun pulled Chaeyoung by the hand towards a bench in the garden of the church grounds. Almost everyone but close family had left at that point, so there was much less stress on her to entertain. Her fiancé was with his family and her parents were mingling with them.  
  
After they both sat down, Chaeyoung refused to let Dahyun's hand go. She laced their fingers like she'd done every time they held hands and looked towards her. "I know something's wrong." She prodded gently. "What did he say to you, Dahyun?"  
  
Dahyun just shook her head and closed her eyes to prevent herself from tearing up. At this, Chaeyoung wrapped her arm around her shoulders, pulling her in. "He doesn't deserve you, you know?" She said almost too quietly, Dahyun turning her head to look at Chaeyoung.  
  
Before Dahyun could interrupt, she continued. "You're the best person I've ever met. You're smart, talented and so fucking caring." Dahyun lightly slapped her arm for swearing again even with the seriousness of the conversation.  
  
"He won't treat you the way you deserve to be treated." She moved her arm from around Dahyun's shoulders and took her hand again. "I know you don't love him either."  
  
Dahyun wanted to speak up at that but found herself staying silent. She turned her eyes down to their locked hands.  
  
"I know you better than I know myself." She said after seeing the look on Dahyun's face. "You put your all in when you care about someone. You don't do that for him. You never have." Chaeyoung ran her thumb along the back of Dahyun's hand.  
  
It took Dahyun a few long seconds to look back up at Chaeyoung, tears welling in her eyes. She took a deep breath. "You're right.." She said slowly. "I don't love him." It took her a few seconds to continue. "They would disown me if I left him. I can't do that to them."  
  
Chaeyoung shook her head. "It's your life, Dahyun, not theirs. You need to live how you want to live. It's not up to your parents who you love and get married to. They have their own life, and you should have yours." She tightened her hold on Dahyun's hand.  
  
Dahyun shook her head, tears finally falling down her cheeks. "He wants me to stop seeing you," she admitted. "That's what we were talking about. After the honeymoon, he told me he didn't want you around me anymore."  
  
A flash of anger passed over Chaeyoung's face. "You can't be serious."  
  
Dahyun nodded. "I don't want to, Chae. I can't." Her tears falling at a faster rate. "I can't lose you. I can't lose you or my parents.." A soft sob left her mouth. "I don't know what to do..."  
  
Chaeyoung took a deep breath and knew it was now or never. "I have something I want to tell you, Dubu.." She waited for Dahyun to look up and lock their eyes. "I love you." She paused. "I'm in love with you. I have been for a long time."  
  
Dahyun's eyes searched Chaeyoung's, trying to process what she had just told her. She buried her feelings for the younger girl years ago. Her parents would never allow it. It was a sin. One of the worst things she could possibly do to her parents was love another woman, so she let her feelings go, but they never truly went away. As soon as she heard those words, they were at the forefront of her mind again. Her heart hammered painfully in her chest.  
  
At Dahyun's silence, Chaeyoung leaned in to connect their lips. She reached out and cupped Dahyun's cheeks, feeling the older girl’s hands gripping her wrists. It barely took any time for Dahyun to respond, kissing her back as if it was the most natural thing in the world.  
  
The feeling of Chaeyoung's full lips against her own was indescribable. It made her feel light and heavy at the same time. As if she could float away but was stuck in place. Her grip tightened on her wrists as the kiss deepened. It was only a few seconds later that she realized what was happening and jumped away like she was burned.  
  
She tried to ignore the small flash of hurt in Chaeyoung's eyes as she jumped away. "I-I have to g-go." She stammered out, backing away from Chaeyoung.  
  
"Dahyun, wait—”  
  
She was cut off by Dahyun quickly walking away from her towards the entrance of the church. Chaeyoung sat there in shock, wondering if she had just lost the most important person in her life.  
  
  


* * *

  
  
It had been eight days since they last spoke to each other. The most miserable week of their entire lives. Chaeyoung felt like she checked her phone every five minutes just in case Dahyun had sent her a text and she didn't hear it. She felt guilty for possibly ruining the best relationship she had. No one could ever replace Dahyun.  
  
Across town, Dahyun was doing the same thing. Constantly looking at her phone, her fingers hovering over the keyboard, trying to think of something to send Chaeyoung after walking out on her. The past eight days were torture. She'd been thinking a lot about the confession and the kiss that followed. Her lips felt like they were burning for hours afterward. It was a sensation she hadn’t experienced, even with her fiancé. She was trying to listen to her heart, but her head kept getting in the way.  
  
_You know you love her. You have for years. The way she looks at you makes your heart flutter. The way she smiles at you, the deep dimple that forms on her right cheek feels like it's just for you. The way she drops everything to take care of you if you're sad or sick._  
  
But then her head interrupted her heart.  
  
_Your parents would never approve of it. They'll disown you and never speak to you again. Drag your name through the mud to their friends for being with a woman. For being a sinner._  
  
Dahyun covered her face with her hands, feeling her eyes sting with tears for what felt like the hundredth time this week. She always heard from people to follow her heart. Even the more reserved elders from her church. Maybe it was time to take their advice.  
  
She grabbed her phone and texted Chaeyoung.  
  
"Chae, can you meet me at our place? We need to talk."  
  
Chaeyoung nearly fell off of her bed when her ringtone specific for Dahyun filled the room. She quickly grabbed her phone and read the message. She would be lying if she said the words didn't spike her anxiety, but responded instantly.  
  
"Of course, Dubu. I'll be there in ten."  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
Chaeyoung entered the park exactly ten minutes later, finding the bench they always sat on when they were having hard times. They came here to relax and talk about their problems without worrying about an interruption. It was the most secluded spot in the park. Chaeyoung sat down and played with her fingers out of nervousness while she waited.  
  
Just a couple of minutes later, she spotted Dahyun walking towards her. The sight of her after so long made her chest tighten. She waited until Dahyun was seated next to her.  
  
"Hey." Her voice came out cracked and weaker than she thought. She hadn't spoken much in eight days.  
  
Dahyun felt a pain run through her chest at the sound. "Hey." She looked into Chaeyoung's eyes and swallowed hard at how tired she looked. "You haven't been taking care of yourself, Chae." She scolded softly, even though she knew she was the one to make Chaeyoung this way.  
  
Chaeyoung just shrugged. "You don't look any better, Dubu." She joked, pushing her shoulder gently.  
  
Neither of them slept much over the last week. The air around them grew thick as they both waited for the other to talk. Dahyun took the initiative.  
  
"I've been thinking a lot over the last week," Dahyun started, wringing her hands as she spoke. "I don't want to lose you or my parents, but I have to choose." She kept her eyes on Chaeyoung's. "It's been miserable without you, Chae. I can't even describe the emptiness I feel—like there's a huge hole in my heart."  
  
Chaeyoung nodded, knowing how she felt. "I feel the same way. It was hard not talking to you, but I didn't want to pressure you. I'm sorry for kissing you like that. It just happened," she rambled. "If you want to forget about it, we can. Pretend it didn't even happen. But, I guess if you choose him, it doesn't matter anyway." Her voice trailed off to a quiet whisper.  
  
Dahyun instantly shook her head. "I'm not giving you up, Chaeyoung." She said firmly and reached out to grab both of her hands. At those words, Chaeyoung's eyes widened, hoping they meant what she thought they did. "I love you, too." Her words came out just barely above a whisper.  
  
When Chaeyoung finally registered them, she felt like she was going to pass out. "You do?"  
  
Dahyun nodded and laced their fingers together. "I do. I have. I just didn't say anything because of my parents. I thought you were the coolest girl in school. You did what you wanted without caring what people thought about it. I wanted to be like that. I thought it was admiration at first, but the longer we were together, I realized it was love."  
  
Chaeyoung took in Dahyun's words, running her thumbs along the side of her hand. "So you don't want to forget about the kiss?"  
  
Dahyun shook her head and leaned in to kiss her. The same feeling flew through her body. Weightless and heavy at the same time. Chaeyoung moved her arms to loop around Dahyun's neck, fingers tangling in black hair at the back of her head. She kissed her back, making sure to put all of her feelings into the kiss, as if this was a dream and that was the only way to make it real.  
  
Dahyun pulled back after a few seconds, running her hands along Chaeyoung's arms. "I don't want to forget about it." She rested her forehead against hers. "I want to remember it for the rest of my life."  
  
Chaeyoung smiled at that, her dimple showing itself. "Me too. Are you sure this is what you want?" She asked, hoping to get the answer she wanted. "I know how much your parents mean to you."  
  
"You mean more to me. I rather be happy with you than be miserable pleasing them."  
  
Chaeyoung's smile grew at that. "Finally took my advice after all these years, huh?"  
  
Dahyun laughed and gave her arm a teasing squeeze. "Yes, finally. After all these years I listened to you. It's a first, I know," she laughed even harder at Chaeyoung's offended stare.  
  
"You're lucky I love you." She leaned in to peck her lips twice, the second one lasting slightly longer.  
  
"I'm very lucky." Dahyun pulled Chaeyoung's arms from around her neck and kissed both of her hands. "I love you, too, Chae."

**Author's Note:**

> I might write their wedding too, I'm not sure. I'll stew on it.


End file.
